Description
These delightful Easter Egg Sugar Cookies are perfect for celebrating the season. Soft, buttery cookies are cut into festive egg shapes, then decorated with colorful glaze and sprinkles, making them ideal for holiday gatherings or gifting. This easy recipe yields tender cookies with a sweet, smooth icing that sets beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
Glaze/Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Assorted food coloring
- Pastel sprinkles or sanding sugar for decoration
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution of the leavening and seasoning.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, incorporating air for tender cookies.
- Add Flavorings and Egg: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and optional almond extract until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing gently until the dough begins to form. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk as needed to help the dough come together without becoming sticky.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough in half and flatten each into a disc. Wrap the discs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the dough and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Use egg-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set but not browned. Watch closely to maintain a soft texture.
- Cool Completely: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on wire racks to prevent sogginess under the decoration.
- Make the Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, light corn syrup, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide the glaze into separate bowls and tint each with your preferred food coloring.
- Decorate Cookies: Using piping bags or a spoon, spread or pipe the colored glaze onto the cooled cookies. Decorate with pastel sprinkles or sanding sugar while the glaze is still wet for adherence.
- Set the Icing: Allow the decorated cookies to sit at room temperature until the glaze is fully set before serving or packaging.
Notes
- Chill the dough thoroughly to prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Royal icing is a great alternative for more detailed decorating and will harden firm.
- Undecorated baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw completely before icing.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
